faith and desire and the swing of your hips
by starmocha
Summary: Will/Jemma. One-Shot. — The next time, she made the same request before it was time to sleep.


**Author's Note:** HELLO NEW OTP THAT WILL BE THE DEATH OF ME. I just really, really, really like the subtle scene with the beds pushed together.

* * *

 **faith and desire and the swing of your hips  
** _by starmocha_

The kiss was sudden, like the sandstorm that announced _It_ 's presence. Jemma had pulled away just as abruptly, stammering nervously about being in the moment, no hope, and then something about the human's need for contact and companionship.

Will could see that she was lying to herself, and maybe he was doing the same, because he brushed it aside as nothing, echoing her last thought about needing companionship. They glanced at each other awkwardly for a moment, before disappearing to different corners of the small cave.

 **.**

They weren't sure how much time had passed, but it seemed like it had been several days of them avoiding the subject. They kept their few conversations practical, talking about needing to get fresh water, foraging for food, _anything_ to keep their minds off of that incident.

 **.**

Will occasionally snuck glances at Jemma, catching her staring brokenly at her dead phone. Her fingers caressed the cracked screen and her mouth opened, reciting the "happy birthday" messages silently. He could feel his chest tightening the longer he watched her.

Seeing her so hopeless. It didn't seem natural for her to be like that.

He immediately turned and walked away when Jemma dropped her phone into her lap.

 **.**

One night (or day, who could be sure), Will woke up to the sound of Jemma screaming. He leapt from his bed, dashing across the tight distance to her. She was still asleep, tossing, screaming, crying for unfamiliar names to him. He shook her, urging her to wake up.

Jemma shot up immediately, crying loudly for Fitz. Will could feel his heart tightening again, but he was relieved that she was woken from her nightmare. He reached out, brushing away the steady streams of tears running down her cheeks.

"It's alright," he murmured, pulling her close to him, and stroking her hair gingerly. She burrowed her face deeper into his chest, gripping tightly at his shirt as she continued to cry softly. "It's alright. It was only a nightmare."

"No," she whispered softly, "it's reality. This is very real."

He looked down at the young woman in his arms, clutching him tightly, almost as if she was afraid he would be gone. Will started to pull away from Jemma when she calmed down, but she held on, still not looking at him.

"Please don't leave," she whispered, "s-stay here, please. Just until I fall asleep again."

"…Of course."

 **.**

The next time, she made the same request before it was time to sleep. Will agreed, because how could he possibly deny her a small piece of comfort in their hellish existence?

Jemma crawled into her bed, keeping her eyes steady as Will settled on the floor next to her. She lay on her side, watching him quietly.

"I am being foolish, aren't I?"

"No," Will responded immediately, watching as she laughed hollowly to herself, seemingly not believing him. He reached out and brushed strands of hair away from her face, tucking them carefully behind her ear. In near darkness, he could see the faint smile on her face at the small gesture.

"I'm really glad you're here," Jemma said, smiling. Her smile immediately faltered as she stammered, "I-I mean not _here_. No, who would want tha-that. What I meant was—"

Will leaned in to kiss her, to silence her.

"I know," he whispered, pulling away from her, smiling when she smiled back.

 **.**

A routine soon began with Jemma making the same request every night and Will agreeing to her request. There was a small comfort in looking forward to this time when there would be a brief moment of peace.

No fear. No despair. No worries.

Just the two of them.

 **.**

Will was the first to make the suggestion of pushing the beds together, and just as he suspected, Jemma was nervous about the proposition. Her face was red, her words made no sense, and her eyes were everywhere but him.

He towered over, holding her face gently until she turned to look at him.

"I like our current arrangement," Jemma stuttered.

"I like our current arrangement, too," Will started, "but I also would like to wake up without a crick in my neck. Besides, this wouldn't really be that much different as what we have going on already."

Will took Jemma's blushing as an agreement.

 **.**

"Will?"

Will turned to his side, facing Jemma. Her shyness had disappeared, replaced with a sense of peace and relief. She smiled sleepily at him.

"I'm really, really, _really_ glad you're here."

He pulled her closer, and she settled into his arms, sighing softly.

"I'm glad you're here. You know. Not 'here' here, but _here_."

He could almost sense that she was smiling against his chest. "I know."

 **.**

Will was relieved when Jemma's nightmares became fewer and fewer. She would still have bad dreams every now and then, but he was always close to her to wake her up and comfort her. He didn't realize he had taken on this role of protector so seriously until one time during dinner, she asked him a question that never crossed his mind.

"Do you have bad dreams, Will?"

He looked up from his plate of alien plant. "No, I—"

"Will?"

"I don't dream."

"O-oh."

They resumed their meal in silence.

 **.**

"Chocolate covered bacons. I know it sounds so—"

"So disgusting," Will finished and then not missing a beat, "So _genius_. I have to eat it."

Jemma laughed. "'Have to eat it.' You sound hopeful."

"Huh." Will stared up at the cave ceiling. "Food makes a man hopeful. So what other crazy food invented should I know about?"

"Um, well, there's this thing called a cronut."

"A cronut."

"Cronut. It's like a combination of a croissant and donut and—"

"Say no more, I have to eat that."

Jemma's laughter echoed in the dark cavern, and to Will, it sounded like the most beautiful sound he had heard in a long, long time. He hoped he was able to keep this laughter forever. To make her smile and laugh until the end of their days on this godforsaken planet.

 **.**

"Feet in freshly cut grass," Jemma reminisced.

"Feet in warm sands, then cool ocean water."

"That does sound nice."

"Sunlight is always nice."

Will listened to Jemma soft humming against his chest as he ran his fingers through her hair.

"It really is," he heard her whisper before letting out a loud, unladylike yawn.

 **.**

"I got it!"

Will groaned softly when Jemma shot up in bed, eyes wide and excitement brimming in her voice. He buried his face into his pillow, feeling a sudden shift in bed as Jemma climbed out, pacing back and forth in their tight space while rambling out big scientific words and something about poles and sunlight that were lost on Will in his drowsy state.

"Will!"

He felt the bed shift again with Jemma's weight. He cracked one eye open, staring into the hopeful face in front of him.

"Don't you understand? I figured it out. Will, I think I know when there will be sunlight here."

He immediately opened his other eye, now fully awake. He looked at Jemma, seeing happy tears in the corners of her eyes.

"Jemma."

"I figured it out."

Seeing her smile and tears and hearing the hope in her voice, he was so overwhelmed, he didn't know what to do but kiss her, sharing in her own bliss at the revelation.

 **.**

"Warm summer days."

"Yeah," Jemma sighed. "It seemed like the days would never end. In a good way."

"Warm summer days at the beach."

"That sounds nice."

"Warm summer days at the beach with you."

"…That sounds really nice."

"Of course it does," Will responded, kissing the top of Jemma's head.

 **.**

That night Will dreamt for the first time in ages, feeling the hot sand burning his feet, the warm ray of sunlight shining down on him, and Jemma by his side, laughing and pulling him towards the waiting cool ocean.


End file.
